Janet Ogundepo
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Health Management Agency, Dr Emmanuella Zamba, has said that the newly launched health insurance plan and virtual booths were designed to improve access to and equitable distribution of healthcare services for residents in the state.
She said this at the formal launch of the Ilera Eko Standard JAARA Health Insurance Plan and the commissioning of the Ilera Eko Virtual Booth on Tuesday at the Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island.
Zamba noted that the JAARA component of the health insurance plan allows enrollees to enjoy telemedicine, free annual medical checkups, diabetic and cancer care, and access to various consultants and surgeries.
She explained that individuals under the Standard Jaara Premium are expected to pay an annual fee of N15,000, which can be divided into bi-monthly payments of N5,000, quarterly payments of N4,125, or monthly payments of N1,500.
The PS added that while families of four pay N55,000 annually, families of six pay N80,000.
She explained that the disparity in fees is to accommodate and make the plan affordable for both small and large families.
PUNCH Healthwise earlier reported that the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during the commissioning of the virtual booths promised pensioners in the state a one-year free access to healthcare services.
The commissioned virtual booths are located in markets in Sabo market, Adamo market in Ikorodu; Ayetoro market in Epe; Ketu market and Yaba market.
It was revealed that there plans to increase them to 300.
The governor further urged residents to take care of their health and enrol in the healthcare plan.
Speaking with PUNCH Healthwise on the sidelines of the event, the LASHMA PS said that the Standard Jaara is an enhancement of the Ilera Eko health plan and has incorporated access to and coverage of surgeries, dental and diabetic care, and surgeries.
“We have scientifically arrived at what will fit into that package at the most affordable price. The standard plan covers treatment for malaria, cough and asthma, hypertension and diabetes. Enrolees also get their drugs for free and can go for diagnostic and laboratory testing.
“You can do your surgeries, blood transfusion, maternal and child care, caesarean section, and dental care, whether you need to do scaling and polishing or you need to extract a tooth or fill it is also covered. You can also get glasses; I mean the affordable and practical ones.
“Right now, we have covered cancer under the Standard Jaara. Also, you can have dialysis, which was not under the standard Jaara before. We have integrated telemedicine into the plan, which is something that we did not have before. So, you can either download the telemedicine app on the Play Store and you can speak to your doctor individually once you are an enrollee. You can dial the toll-free number and talk to your doctor. Or you can walk into the virtual booth, which is part of what we launched today, and get physical access, or through the telemedicine laptop.
“We have added more surgeries. Before, we didn’t have eye surgery, now we have put in cataract surgery. We have also extended the consultants that you can see. We added orthopaedic surgeons and endocrinologists and about two others that you can access.
“There are quite a lot of things that we have packaged in Standard Jaara that if you just pay this amount, which is more than N8,000, because the economy has changed, and if we are adding more benefits, you have to pay a little bit extra. But still, considering the benefits that you are getting, it is very affordable and I don’t think anybody can compete with that price,” Zamba noted.
She further clarified that the virtual booth was not a replacement for conventional hospitals, emphasising that healthcare workers were always available in the booths.
The PS also mentioned that enrollees have access to free medications from partner community pharmacists after consulting with a doctor.
The LASHMA PS added, “When you go to the booth, if you are not an enrolee, you can register there. We have a Sterling bank room next door where you can make your payment and you’re given your necessary details so that next time you come in and are active, you can now enjoy the scheme.
“When you visit the booth, your data will be checked on the system to ensure that you are an enrollee and are active. Once you are active, you can go for a blood pressure check, blood sugar test and weight and height measurement.
“Then, if you have any complaints, you can call the doctor on the telemedicine platform and you speak to that doctor free of charge. He will diagnose what is wrong with you and give you a prescription. We have community pharmacists, about 332 pharmacies partnering with us and you can take your prescription and walk into the nearest pharmacy near you, collect those drugs free of charge simply because you are an Ilera Eko enrolee.”
She clarified that individuals requiring further medical attention would be referred to their chosen primary healthcare provider.
She noted that emergency cases were referred to partnered neighbouring hospitals, with the insurance plan covering the first 48 hours of care at these facilities.
The doctor explained that enrollees must pay their dues on or before the 26th of the month to access the facilities starting from the first day of the following month.
The physician added that individuals who miss that cut-off date will have to wait until the following month before they can access the plan.
Further speaking on Sanwo-Olu’s approval of the one-year free health insurance coverage for pensioners under Ilera Eko, Zamba stated that the agency is collaborating with the Lagos State Pension Commission to upload their data, emphasising that officers in all the 57 Local Council Development Areas are actively registering pensioners into the scheme.
“One per cent of the consolidated revenue fund is the equity fund. This year, Mr Governor made that equity fund a first-line charge. So with the funds that come out regularly, that is predictable, and it is guaranteed, we can cover these pensioners for the one year that he has given free of charge to them,” she said.
The permanent secretary urged Lagos State residents to prioritise their health and enrol in the insurance plan, noting that the payment plan was affordable due to government subsidies.
Zamba said, “The truth of the matter is that you pay and keep small money aside, so that the time you need help, maybe somebody in the family is ill, you don’t have to have to look for funds, you just walk to the facility and you access to care simply because you have prepared for a rainy day. If you go into a hospital now and you want to treat malaria, the minimum payment you will make is at least N10,000 and we are asking to pay just a little bit of that with Standard JAARA and it covers you for a whole year as an individual.
“So this is a fantastic opportunity that we should key into so we can reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure, financial catastrophe of families, people losing their lives because they don’t have the cash to look after themselves.”
Also speaking at the event, a representative of Sterling Bank, Mr Adebowale Adewole, in his goodwill message stated that the scheme was an important step in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal three, “Good health and Well-Being.”
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